The Modern Development of the Finance, Tourism and Agricultural Industries in Jersey

The paper considers the development of the Finance, Tourism and Agricultural industries, as the main sectors of business activity, in Jersey in the twentieth century. The development of the Finance industry (from the arrival of the first merchant bank in the 1960s to its present day standing providing 55% of GNP) is considered against the perceived decline in Agriculture due to too much concentration on one crop and competition from other areas. Also, the continued importance of the Tourism industry is considered in relation to the other two main industries. The aims of the paper are to determine the factors involved in the modern development of these main industries. A number of research methods have been used, including secondary data, to assess the industrial environment, which has existed in the twentieth century, and quantitative methods to determine the different factors involved in the development processes of the industries. Semi-structured qualitative methods have been used to examine, in detail, the nature and importance of these factors.The research has been carried out in four distinct stages. The first stage has assessed the industrial environment, which has existed in Jersey in the twentieth century involving Finance, Tourism and Agriculture. It has drawn primarily on archival material, existing research and secondary data sources. Secondary data sources include existing literature in the area, which consists of both published material and ‘grey’ literature. The second stage has considered the factors involved in the development of the three main industries and has consisted of three main tasks. The first has been to collate data on the development of the industries in Jersey. The second has been to analyse the data using quantitative methods to measure evolutionary change and significant events. The final part has involved the determination of trends to develop a longitudinal framework over the time period of the twentieth century. The third stage of the research has examined the nature and impor